


Beneath the stars and the moon

by Aeruthin



Series: Original Family Short Stories [2]
Category: The Originals (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Family Bonding, Fluff, Gen, Haylijah if you squint, Klelijah if you squint, Somewhat, hayley and klaus in wolf form
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-08-29
Packaged: 2020-09-29 21:15:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20442644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aeruthin/pseuds/Aeruthin
Summary: Elijah joins Hayley and Klaus during the full moon, sees their wolf forms and contemplates his life.





	Beneath the stars and the moon

The light of the full moon reflects on the water of the lake, and for a moment Elijah just stands on the porch of the little cabin in the bayou, breathing in the quiet air and the scents of the night. There are some hours left until the moon disappears, so he places the bag with clothes in the cabin, locks the door, and strolls into the woods. 

The sounds of the night life surround him, animals scurrying around in search for food and prey. He is looking for a bigger kind of animal that night, though, although he is no hurry to find them. He walks slowly, relishing the idea that for once, there are no threats to his family and those he loves. For once, he can leave Freya alone with Hope at the compound in good conscience, and without the constant need to check in. For once, he can meet the two of the persons closest to him in their alternate form. 

They did not agree to a specific time or place, but he is sure that they will find him when they are ready. Sure enough, almost an hour into his stroll, he hears a rushing in the woods, disturbing the peace of the night. Elijah approaches an open clearing, and when he is in its centre he stops. There is more rustling, until it stops to his left. In the darkness of the trees, a pair of eyes greet him, reflecting the moonlight. 

A large, grey wolf steps out into the clearing. She is sleight of build, but Elijah does not doubt the the strength which is combined in all her muscles. Since he was a child, he had been taught to despise wolves, and in the many years following the werewolf packs had done little to persuade him away from his preconceptions. Wolves were barbaric, short on temper, and could and would kill and maim anyone who angered them. Due to relentless attacks and betrayal on both sides, vampires and wolves had been each others natural enemy since the moment vampires were first created.

It was only due to his brother and the wolf standing in front of him that he had finally considered their terrible beauty. Her fur glistens in the light of the moon as she strides forward. She nearly reaches his hips in size. Of course, she does not necessarily need the moon to be full to be able to walk in this form. When he asked, though, she said that they preferred it to any other night even so. 

Elijah forces himself to remain still, instinctively on guard in the presence of a werewolf. From her body language, - her head low, her ears twisted slightly backward,- she feels the same, her natural senses heightened in her wolf form. 

Slowly, he reaches his hand out to her, careful to not form a threat, and after a brief hesitation, she presses her nose against it.

He relaxes further, a smile playing on his lips. Words will not serve him tonight, so instead he lets his hand trail over her head, through the coarse hairs of her fur. This is new for both of them, and Elijah takes his time, keeping an eye on her to gauge her response. At one point, she sits and leans her head into his hand, which he takes as a good sign. Then, something more playful comes over her, her tail swashing back and forth. She bounces upward, placing her front paws against his shoulders, and, easily reaching him, licks his face. 

Elijah sputters, staggering back at her weight and the assault of the wet tongue. She keeps at it, bouncing back up whenever her paws slip his shoulders, and soon he is laughing, ruffling her neck and fur.

The other wolf comes out of nowhere, crashes into him and knocks him right of his feet. For an instant, Elijah is on high alert, all senses trying to determine the threat and a possible course of action. No further attacks come, however, and when he pushes to his elbows, he sees that his younger brother too has joined the party.

Niklaus is as large as Hayley is. His fur is more spotted than hers, dark grey contrasting with white. He holds his head low, his amber eyes trained on Elijah, who pushes himself to his feet.

"Hello to you too, Niklaus," he says, dusting the dirt of his trousers. His shirt is already ruined, courtesy of Hayley's paws.

Niklaus snorts, lowers his head even further, a gleam in his eyes, and before Elijah can respond he pounces again. They roll over the ground, but this time Elijah is prepared. They justle, both trying to pin the other down. Whenever Elijah is on top, Niklaus wriggles out from under him, and Elijah does his best to do the same as well. Through it all, Niklaus is careful not to nick him with his teeth. Elijah is not above pulling on his brothers ears, though, which earns him a satisfying yelp.

He can feel himself grinning, and for a moment his mind flashes back to his youth, when they used to play fight in the woods, all five of them piled on top of each other, laughing so hard it hurt.

Finally, Elijah stops struggling and lays down on his back, allowing the win to go to Niklaus. Both of them are out of breath. Niklaus stands over him, framed in the moonlight, one strong paw pressing down on Elijah's chest. His breath is visible in the moonlight and the clear air as he pants.

With a start, Elijah realises that he feels completely safe. His throat tightens, and a rush of pride and love at his younger brother washes over him. Slowly, he reaches out and presses his hand against Niklaus' chest. His heart is pounding strongly, but his fur is soft beneath Elijah's fingers. To believe that not so long ago, he had held Niklaus' heart in his hands, ready to end his life altogether. 

Niklaus looks down on him, maybe sensing the shift in Elijah's mood. He huffs and seems to roll his eyes. The pressure on Elijah's chest lifts as he removes his paw, but before he can sit up, Niklaus flops down next to him, his back pressed against Elijah's side. After a moment, Hayley lays down next to him as well on his other side. She playfully snaps at Niklaus' ear, but then yawns and places her head on Elijah's shoulder.

Elijah curls his arm around her, burrowing his fingers in her fur. He presses a soft kiss on her snout. Niklaus whines, and Elijah presses a kiss on his head as well. Then they all lie back and the only sound is their soft breathing. 

Elijah is not sure what the future will hold. If the truce they have will be broken, their endless enemies finding another way to thwart them and break the peace. For now tough, he is content to lie here in the grass, staring up at the stars and the moon, embracing his family, and, for the first time in a long while, being happy.


End file.
